Real reran some of the first night of feeds tonight, followed by the whole thing
playing out again.. Whether you watched the first run or the rerun, or missed all
or parts of it, you can use Hamsterwatch as a handy guide to remember the fun..
The entire season will remain here, along with BB6 & BB5 - come back anytime

That's that

These two put the ho in showmance, which probably helped Boogie get the win, but nobody wanted to watch them go at it

The final vote tally was 6-1 for Boogie, with Marcellas the only dissenting vote for Erika

I didn't post much for the final days because there wasn't much to post.. Boogie & Erika didn't speak much when the feeds were on, and for the last two nights they were further pampered with movie marathons.. few seemed to even notice or care that the final days were a lot of flames

So what did we get this summer, other than a shortened season? A lot of hard-core strategy and fluid alliances, although most were just convenient short-term arrangements - the only true alliances were Willboogie and Janelle/Howie/Kaysar.. Willboogie were ultimately denied their targeted one-two finish by their own Operation Double Date backfiring on them, and the BB6ers were doomed by James' dirty dealings as well as Kaysar having a loose deal with Will to go easy on each other.. we also got a lot of confusion as most everyone lied to everyone else, and feedmasters were terribly stingy in letting us in on the real game meetings in the first weeks

One thing that was a plus this year over last was that they kept all four channels of audio open on quads all season.. it got crazy and usually couldn't be followed, but it let you know if you were missing something on one feed if paying attention to another.. fortunately they turned down the WAY TOO LOUD music that accompanied the way too often flames, but not until we were well into the season (and deafened often)

It's easy to forget how many we started with and how full the house was at first

It's easier to tick off what we missed out on this season: the biggest gap for me was the getting to know them time and watching them get to know each other.. by the time the feeds came on it was their 4th night in there and they were already past most of the small talk that people do when meeting new people.. most of these already knew each other anyway - some well - and those who didn't knew of the others, and so did we.. there were precious few chats for chatting's sake this year, and that's a big part of what fills in the time for us & them

Noticeably missing was the "HOH comp advantage" for America's Choice winner Janelle, bought with 50¢ votes.. her $25,000 jury prize helped mitigate that but it still sounds illegal since it involved cash from viewers

We had drunken rant night offenses by Jase & Boogie, a couple tantrums by James, and a few hissy fits by Marcellas, but we didn't have any fights

We also missed out on a lot of playing and just hanging out.. true, they played group duckball, charades, kickball & dodgeball, but few games of each and those ended long ago.. they played a lot of cards once they got them, but that's a well-known snore for us & for them

The good comps were good - notably slop diving & dumpster diving - but far more were terribly dull Q&A that were painfully easy.. they did one based on the platitudes on the walls, but they never did anything with the numbers on the bug room walls, the bathroom duckies, or the revolving HOH room decors; and in this supposed retrospective season, quizzing them on missing & rearranged house items and having them make their own comp apparatus on group crafts night were both painfully missing.. they also had several questionable comp rulings including the one HOH comp that was tossed out completely.. there's no excuse for that kind of thing - this is network tv run by very highly paid professionals, not a school play

Hamster-wise, we were entertained by Janelle, Will, George & Howie.. confused by Jase, Kaysar, Diane & Nakomis.. and bored by Boogie, Erika, James, Marcellas & Danielle.. Alison probably had the most potential to do more damage and be more entertaining than many who survived her, but we'll never know for sure

Each of them had their moments though.. I wanted to highlight a few of my favorite moments & videos here but in spite of my lack of enthusiasm for the season overall, there are too many to list them all.. video tributes & wrapups are popping out all over like chicken pox lately anyway.. mine will remain linked on these pages and at YouTube for anyone who wants to backtrack and/or reminisce.. a still too-long list of some of the best is below

I found out by going backward picking these videos out that many things once confusing have since been cleared up, notably that Janelle's instincts were usually right but she was talked out of them by her teamies.. there's still no explanation why these folks let Will stay in the game beyond the first week or two.. I'm glad they did since he was amusing for us, but they all knew his game and yet most believed whatever he said, even while he wore shirts that proclaimed I'M PROBABLY LYING

It was good to see some of them again though, and we should be indebted to each for putting themselves out there, giving us the opportunity to point 'n laugh, and to be alternately amused, awed, delighted and disgusted with them all

At the end of the day though, the two finalists left a bad taste in my mouth, and not just because of personal taste.. the fact that Boogie got a gazillion dollars worth of free advertising, leaked himself as one of the 20 potentials a day early (a breach of contract), and had an open pre-season alliance with Will (also a breach of contract), plus the fact that Erika has cast other CBS reality shows (and admitted it on the feeds) are items that are truly appalling.. while they may not be technically illegal, they are certainly highly unethical

I'm very pleased to say that Janelle's being given printouts of Hamsterwatch BB7 All-Stars in its entirety through the other day to read on the plane and/or when she has time (though she'll find out plenty before that).. maybe she'll be able to send something for the site in the days ahead

CBS has applications up for BB8 but it also looks like controlling interest in creator/licensor Endemol is about to be sold.. I hope we get a BB8 next year, but I also hope it's done more like the rest of the world's Big Brothers, with real people as opposed to acting wannabes, voting by the public so they play up to us more & better, feeds that deliver "all the action 24/7" as promised including Diaries and comps, and no twists.. after so many references by the hamsters themselves to things being at least partially scripted this year, it's hard to remain optimistic about Big Brother or reality tv in general, but we can hope

Hamsterwatch shout-outs

Huge thanks go out to many who helped in large and small ways, notably TD for creating & contributing BB7 Park installments nearly every day

Biggest thanks as always go to you Hamsterwatchers for returning day after day, and especially to those of you who sent donations and/or emails.. I'm weeks behind on responding to most but I'll get to each

This wasn't an easy season to cover due to a number of things including site slowdowns, sabotage attempts, the death of my computer and the death of a family member, but much of it was great fun.. I won't miss the occasional 20-hour days nor the Thursday night HOH marathons & Tuesday night waffle meetings, but I'll miss the opportunity to snark & spew about this silly show and knowing you guys enjoyed it for the most part.. as always, thanks for encouraging my behavior

Video gems

Lots of people made lots of videos this year, which will eliminate all doubt when the hamsters come out and "check the tapes" - this time there's evidence of everything and faulty editing of the air shows is no longer a factor in telling the whole story

Big ups for a gutsy finale that made up for a lot and hit hard, in spite of the near-universal apathy about the finalists. Some jury Q&A were dropped but Danielle made a good foreperson and the summations were night & day between Erika's 'true puppetmaster' junk versus Boogie's 'humbly & respectfully' appeal. James needs to accept he's lost twice and get over it, Howie needs to keep on saying it like it is, Marcellas might have made it unanimous if he'd heard Boogie's 'you were all in Chilltown' before voting, and WOW Dani told Julie to 'shut up'! Ups to Kaysar & Alison for their well-placed direct hits, and kudos to production for letting Ali deliver the news: it was a bit less cruel that way as Erika could 'consider the source' at least til they went off the air. Kudos also for deleting Anna Nicole from the 'wannabe' part of the James/Janelle revelations (and sincere best wishes to ANS from here). Jase was in fine form and though Diane & Nakomis were subdued, it was good to see them both. All in all, a very satisfying finale to an up 'n down season, but in the end thanks to CBS, producers, editors & crew for delivering our summer habit again. In spite of my rants & busts about how they go about it, it's still the best game in town.

He won most of the prizes including the big one, and he could have won the girl but he didn't want her. Rarely have we seen such crass behavior or self-promotion without seeing much to back it up. He'll be most remembered for his nasty drunken rant about Janelle, for riding Will's coattails through the game, and for calling his bedmate 'a used-up ho' on tv.

She had fans for a day when she rallied Janelle against the guys that done 'em wrong, but she lost most of those in the following days when she took credit for everything that came before. She returned to Boogie over & over even though he rejected her every time, and she was about as much fun as a rock for most of the season. Marcellas was right when he called her 'Amber Alert' early on and while everyone says BB isn't a team sport, her style of floating isn't exactly impressive. Outside of bed & bath, she's best known for saying 'I'll vote however you want me to.'

AMERICA'S CHOICEFirst into the house but third place again.. but also a second year as viewers' favorite plus most HOHs and most vetos overall - all in spite of most noms overall and having them all after her. She's still a breath of badly needed fresh air and never fails to keep most of us rooting for her even as she goes up against unbeatable odds. It was wonderful to watch her wear her tiara over & over, bought by 50¢ votes that failed to deliver the game advantage promised, but reminding us she's ever the prom queen, buxom blonde bombshell, and now two-time Hamsterwatch Star of the Season.

He owned them all from the start and was largely (if not solely) responsible for the first 10 evictions, as well as the 11th - his own. He was mostly fun to watch with a quick wit and more than a few good tv moments, tho his self- and Boogie-promotion got old fast as did his unbridled arrogance. His chemistry with Janelle was undeniably sparkly and fun to watch: even tho we knew it was a play, there was something that felt genuine about it too, but in the end she played him back and right out the door.

We only got the BB1 goony guy with his Thursday night get-ups but he had his share of colorful moments and championship belly flops. He won an important veto by shaving his head & going on perma-slop, making him the most suffering but least complaining of them all. He's a very decent guy and a good friend to them all (even Howie), and I wish him only good things.

She said she wanted redemption but she played it too hard too often, and got played right out the door. She spent a day in solitary, and 'got personal' and nasty a few times but she did herself in by trusting the most untrustworthy: James, Erika & Willboogie. Strategy & working behind backs are her fortes but this time she'll be remembered most for excessive ding-donging.

He ran a self-professed 'Janelle hate campaign' when she had his back, and called her a liar, traitor & worse on tv but he hooked up with Dani on Day 2. He promised to be more fun but wasn't much until the end, when he was great. He plays the game well but too hard and personal. The Dolly Wars will follow him but he'll be ok: it's just a little harm.

Love him or hate him, nobody can deny he's an individual. Two years running he's stayed truer to his partners than anyone while staying on good terms with everyone on all sides, in spite of behavior that would get most arrested. His act gets old and he drops trou a lot, but he's almost always upbeat and his heart is solid gold. We'd all be lucky to have a friend as loyal as Howie.

He had early alliances galore but blew them all off to mope & complain instead. Editing was far from kind and didn't even give us his best but it's his own doing (like most of his problems are). Hamsterwatch Most Photogenic award winner, especially since he started posing for renaissance paintings.

He said his heart wasn't in it this year and that he was saving his big moves for later: both fatal in the BB house, and not kicking out Will when he could was pivotal to the season. But he shaved his head for the game and stopped twisting his hair too. Good to see him again and overnighters especially will miss him.

Sadly, she didn't stand a chance this year. She came in defeated & involved in a feud, and lost all her partners. Mrs. Smith didn't give us the fireworks she's capable of but she's always an all-star in my book and I wish her well.

His alliances and behavior were all over the map this time and both got him kicked out. He went out the back door again but it wasn't intentional this time. So long, mirror-face.

Not the most charismatic and she didn't start playing in time, but each side kicked her out so the other couldn't have her. Kudos to her for having the guts to return.

She worked out and hid in a vase but the potential for catfights & dramatics left with her. She didn't live up to her skanky rep: good for her, bad for us.

Purchases made through sponsor links and free trials helped me keep this site going, and all donations were hugely appreciated. Paypal donations can still be made by email. Please support other BB7 fan sites that you like, too. Many thanks!

This site isn't necessarily about who should win, who will win, who I'd be friends with, or who is cute. It's about watching hamsters: which ones are doing what and why, which are fun and which are dull. If they aren't entertaining, get rid of 'em! Thanks for encouraging my behavior.. that dingo